The Moons of Iego
by Razzberri
Summary: Anakin and three friends are sent on a mission with their masters to recover the treasure of the Angels of Iego. Not Anakins POV.
1. Crime and Punishment

Chapter One  
  
The wind roared in Lorien M'aheirha's ears, whipping her long, dark hair are she sped past the numerous buildings and people in downtown Coruscant. Her best friend, Cylise Riyahndez, pulled her hoverboard up beside hers, matching her speed perfectly.  
  
  
  
"Race you to the Ulrec Club," she called over the wind.  
  
  
  
"You sure about that?" Lorien yelled back, grinning. "Aren't you scared I'll beat you again?"  
  
  
  
"You're joking, right?" Cylise laughed, her clear blue eyes sparkling. "The day I'm scared of you is the day Master Windu buys shampoo!"  
  
  
  
Both girls laughed at the thought of the Jedi Master ever needing shampoo.  
  
  
  
"All right," Lorien said. "I'll give you one last chance to beat me. Say 'go'."  
  
  
  
"Go!"  
  
  
  
In an instant, both were flying down the streets, dodging old ladies and speeders as easily as if they were in slow motion. Cylise was ahead, guiding her hoverboard expertly. She drew nearer and nearer to the club. Victory at last! Then-  
  
  
  
A brown blur of jedi robes whizzed past her, taking the lead in less than a second. She was soon out of sight.   
  
  
  
"Sith honour her," Cylise muttered, pushing her board into top speed, and banking left, to take a shortcut that would lead her to the club faster. With Lorien, games had no rules.  
  
  
  
When she finally reached the club, she hopped off her hoverboard and carried it inside. Lorien was no where in sight  
  
  
  
"I must have beat her after all," she thought, happily.  
  
  
  
"What took you so long?"  
  
  
  
Cylise jumped, and a familiar laugh filled her ears as she turned around. Lorien was standing just inside the door, sipping a glass of Jawwa juice, her eyes sparkling, the right one a brilliant emerald green, the left one a deep indigo.  
  
  
  
"How did you do that?" Cylise asked her. Our boards are the same model, top speed's the same or both of them, and I took a shortcut."  
  
  
  
Lorien smiled. "Be nicer to Anakin and Kad and maybe they'll return the favor."  
  
  
  
Cylise shook her head. "I'll beat you one of these days, Lorien M'aheirha, Force forsake liars."  
  
  
  
"Right." Lorien said, finishing up her drink. "You just keep telling yourself that. But I've got everything in life going for me right now. No serious injuries, no major enemies, no deep trouble with the Council-"  
  
  
  
"Until today, "Cylise interrupted.  
  
  
  
"What do you mean?" Lorien asked sharply.  
  
  
  
"Have you forgotten that today is the 4,000th anniversary of the formation of the order? You've got too make a speech, remember?"  
  
  
  
"What time is it?" Lorien said, smoothly.  
  
  
  
"Sixteenth hour standard time. Lorien?"  
  
  
  
But Lorien had dropped her glass and was already out the door and in her hoverboard, racing toward the Jedi Temple.  
  
  
  
Cylise sighed, thanking the Force that she hadn't been the one chosen for the job.  
  
~*~  
  
By the time Cylise caught up with Lorien, the shorter girl was waiting for the lift that would take her to the Celebration Hall, twenty stories up. She began to pace, impatiently, hardly acknowledging Cylise's presence, but muttering nonstop to herself.  
  
  
  
"Lorien, relax, you can't be that late."  
  
  
  
"Yes, I am. By now the ceremony will have ended and the feast should be ending any minute. There's no use in hiding from the Masters. I'll have to tell them where I've been." She met her friend's eyes at last. "Make yourself scarce, Cylise, or they'll catch you too."  
  
  
  
"No way."  
  
  
  
"I mean it." Lorien said, insistently. "'Member last week when I hid Master Ki-Adi-Mundi's Robes by the fuel generators and the light-iluna he had in his pocket exploded?"  
  
  
  
Cylise nodded, smiling. "It was beautiful."  
  
  
  
"It was," Lorien agreed. "Who would've guessed that they burn with green flames? But remember that when Master Windu found me he said that if anything like that happened again he would make sure I learned my lesson?"  
  
  
  
"That was willfully burning a master's clothing. this is accidental lateness for a ceremony. Big difference," Cylise pointed out.  
  
  
  
"Yeah, this is about a hundred times worse," Lorien said, slumping against the wall. "Never mind the fact that I'm late and kept the entire order waiting, but add the fact that I never wrote a speech to begin with and I was outside the temple without permission, and they have an excuse to kick me out of the order this time, especially when you count all the things I've done before.  
  
  
  
"They won't kick you out, don't worry," Cylise said, soothingly. Just then, a small bell sounded, signaling the arrival of the lift. Both girls turned around.  
  
  
  
"About t-"Lorien stopped when she saw the three people exiting the lift. Jedi Master Yoda, Jedi Master Mace Windu, and her own master, Takai Na-Mari.  
  
  
  
"I-"Lorien stuttered, momentarily at a loss for words, but quickly regaining her composure. "I am graced by your presence, Masters." She bowed, trying to look respectful.  
  
  
  
"Save it, Lorien," Takai said, his aging face hard.  
  
  
  
"Yes, Master." Lorien said, but without the expected humbleness.  
  
  
  
"Young M'aheirha," Master Yoda said, looking up at her. "Aware, are you, that the ceremony has ended?"  
  
  
  
"Yes, Master Yoda."  
  
  
  
"Thank young Vizaan, you can, for making a speech in your place."  
  
  
  
Lorien sighed with relief, making a mental note to thank Kad the next time she saw him.  
  
  
  
"However," Master Windu said, "That does not excuse your absence. Where have the two of you been?"  
  
  
  
"We were outside," Lorien confessed, knowing that it was no use lying to the Masters. They were in for it now.  
  
  
  
"On the streets?" Takai said, tensely. "Again?"  
  
  
  
"I'm sorry, Master, but I-"  
  
  
  
"Do not lie to me, Lorien." Takai said, warningly.  
  
  
  
Lorien looked at him, curiously.  
  
  
  
"You know as well as I do that you are not truly sorry for what you did."  
  
  
  
"Then I apologize, Master, but I really wanted a bit of excitement, it's been so boring around here lately." Lorien watched her master, hoping she would be forgiven. No matter how many rules she broke she never wanted to have to give up being a Jedi. She loved the Order and the people who worked, learned and taught there.  
  
  
  
Takai's expression softened, somewhat. "I am fully aware how painful a quiet, uneventful time such as this has been for someone like you, but you still broke the rule. Are you prepared to face the consequences of your actions?"  
  
  
  
"Yes, Master."  
  
  
  
"You and Cylise will spend all of tomorrow, from sunrise to sunset, with Madame Jocasta Nu in the Hall of the Archives," Master Windu said.  
  
  
  
Lorien nodded. "Yes, Master Windu." They were playing with her nature. Much as she loved the Archives, a full day with Madame Jocasta Nu would be close to torture. The woman was kind, but very strict and had high expectations.  
  
  
  
"Dismissed you are, young M'aheirha and Riyahndez," Mater Yoda said.  
  
~*~  
  
The day in the Hall was as painful as Lorien had expected. Madame Jocasta Nu had them organizing the holos and files and helping the younglings who came in to complete assignments. Every time the door opened and a snatch of fresh air or laughter floated into the room, both girls had to fight the urge to run outside. After their midday meal, which had been brought to them in the Hall, Anakin Skywalker and Kadir Vizaan walked in.  
  
Cylise tucked a stray strand of light brown hair behind her ear. "Hey," she said, more to Anakin than to Kad.  
  
"Hey," They replied, looking around. They were both good friends of the two girls. Or rather, they were both good friends of Lorien's, but Cylise could hardly stand Kad. Anakin was the tallest, with sand-coloured hair and ice-blue eyes, strong willed and outspoken. Kad was the oldest, though. He had jet-black hair, and expressive grey eyes, serious and thoughtful. No one would have suspected that the two would become friends.  
  
"You seem to be hanging in there," Anakin said, playfully.  
  
"Barely." Lorien gave a weak smile and punched his arm lightly. "This isn't fair, fifteen year olds shouldn't be confined in one place so long, we need air. Someone else should do this. How about you two? You're older."  
  
"Nice try," Anakin said. "But this is your punishment. Besides, We're only a year older than you. And I have no idea how this place works, I always need someone to help me."  
  
"Yeah, me too," said Kad.  
  
"Oh, thanks for covering for me yesterday, Kad," Lorien said, looking up. "I owe you one."  
  
"No problem." Kad smiled. "But you're right, you do owe me. Master Shalone's making me do an assignment on the formation of the Republic now, 'cause she says I'm getting too cocky, getting up and making a speech up off the top of my head.  
  
"Cocky?" Lorien asked, raising her eyebrows, "You? That'll be the day." Kad shrugged.  
  
"Would you mind helping me find a file on the Republic, Your Highness?" He asked Cylise.  
  
"Find it yourself," Cylise snapped, continuing to place holos on the shelf.  
  
Lorien rolled her eyes and turned to Kad. "Fifth row down to your right. Around the middle there should be a whole section on it."  
  
"Thanks." With a glance at Cylise, Kad walked off down the hall. When he was out of earshot Lorien spoke again.  
  
"Look what you did, Cylise, you hurt his feelings."  
  
"Like I care."  
  
"Why're you so mean to him? What did he ever do to you?" Lorien asked.  
  
Cylise shrugged. "I just don't like him, that's all. He never gets into trouble, he's always right, and he calls me 'Your Highness' all the time.  
  
"So now it's a crime to call a princess 'Your Highness' , is it?" Anakin grinned  
  
"I'm no different from anyone else. I'm a Jedi, just like you. And Iego's not even in the Republic. Being it's princess has no importance here."  
  
"Are there really angels on it's moons?" Anakin asked, interested.  
  
"Sure." Cylise turned back to the holos.  
  
"And are they as beautiful as people say?"  
  
"You can't possibly imagine."  
  
Kad came back with a stack of files and holos in his arms.   
  
"Well, we'd better go now," He said, not looking at Cylise. "Thanks, Lorien."  
  
"Sure. Bye." Lorien watched as the boys left the library. Then she turned and went to see if Madame Jocasta Nu needed any help with the particularly excited group of young children who to had just come into the Hall. 


	2. Simple Torture

Chapter Two  
  
The next morning, Cylise knocked on Lorien's apartment door so that they could walk to breakfast together, as usual. She was told to come in, and she did so.  
  
Lorien was sitting at her dresser, which she rarely used except to put clothes in, and was fixing her hair.  
  
"What are you doing?" Cylise asked, shocked. Lorien hardly ever cared about what her hair looked like. The wild, dark brown curls were untamable anyway.  
  
"Doing my hair," Lorien said, attempting, and failing, a half ponytail. "What's it look like?"  
  
"May I ask what has prompted such a sudden change?" said Cylise, trying to sound like a master.  
  
"Yes, you may." Lorien continued to stare into the mirror.  
  
Cylise sighed. "What has prompted such a sudden change?"  
  
Lorien dropped her hair and looked up at her friend. "Last night, when I got back from the Hall of the Archives, Master Takai had another ' talk ' with me."  
  
"What did he say?" asked Cylise, dreading the answer. Takai only ' talked ' with Lorien when she had done something serious.  
  
"He said that if I can't be a good girl and follow the rules and act like a Jedi apprentice should, there would only be two things he could do."  
  
"And?" Cylise knew it wasn't something good.  
  
"He would either disown me and have me be trained by the Masters, or I would be expelled from the Order." Lorien's face was pained. "I just can't leave, Cylise, I love it here! And I always want to be Master Takai's apprentice. I love him. He's like a father to me."  
  
Cylise thought for a moment. "I doubt he meant it," she said. "He wouldn't disown you, he picked you himself over a bunch of good little kids. I think the Council made him say that."  
  
"If Master Takai disagrees with anything the Council says, he rebells. He has a strong spirit."  
  
"Like you."  
  
"I guess."  
  
"Force, Lorien, you're falling apart. You never say 'I guess'. You've always got an answer." Cylise was now very worried. Her friend was always strong, always mischievous, and always fun to be around, if you didn't get on her bad side. But now, when she risked losing her master, whom she loved so much, she was willing to throw her very self away and be whoever he wanted her to be, just so she could stay with him. And, much as Cylise hated that, she had to admit that, if it came to that, she would probably do the same for her Master, Raena Tikar. Reana was as much a mother to her, as her own father was her father. Even more so. Cylise's real mother had died while giving birth to her, and Cylise had always felt a certain bit of guilt after reading it in the archives.  
  
"I don't know." Lorien whispered. " Master Takai said, after I nearly cried, that if, after our next mission, I have become a better person, He will withdraw all threats, and I will be his apprentice to the day I pass the trials."  
  
"Now that sounds like Takai," Cylise said, brightening up. "So just be good till then, and you'll have nothing to worry about."  
  
"But it's so hard!" Lorien cried. "It took all my will just to keep myself from faking I was dead this morning, just to scare him!"  
  
"You do that so well." Cylise remarked, remembering the time Lorien had pulled that stunt on her, and hadn't come out of her "death trance" until her funeral, when she was about to be cremated. That was when they were ten.  
  
"Thanks." Lorien sighed. "But the point is, that I can't keep this up for very long, its not who I am, and I have no idea how long it'll be before we go on another mission!"  
  
"Well..." But Cylise had reached the bottom of her bank of comforting words. "Let's go down to breakfast, that'll take your mind off it."  
  
"I doubt it," Lorien said, standing up. "But let's go."  
  
~*~  
  
When they reached the dining hall, Cylise followed Lorien to Anakin and Kad's table, where they sat down.  
  
Anakin surveyed Lorien with disbelief. Her clothes were all orderly, her ponytail was strait, her face showed no trace of her usual half-smile, and her eyes... they had lost their everlasting sparkle and joy, giving her a dead, haunted look.   
  
"What happened to you?" He asked, worried.  
  
"You look awful," Kad added, also very concerned.  
  
"She's trying to be good," Cylise told them.  
  
"Like that'll ever happen," Kad snorted. Cylise glared at him  
  
"I have to," Lorien said, wearily. "I'm trying as hard as I can-"  
  
"So you're trying to kill yourself?" Anakin asked, increadulously. "You know you can't keep that up for very long!"  
  
Lorien nodded, pouring herself a bowl of grain. She looked up as a small, timid boy of about twelve passed by.  
  
"Hey, Baritos," she said.   
  
The boy stopped dead in his tracks.  
  
"Y-yes, Lorien?"  
  
"Would you please get me a spoon?"  
  
"Oh!" Baritos said, looking extremely relieved. "S-sure!" And he hurried off to get her one. When he came back she thanked him and he stood, shocked for a moment, then scurried away.  
  
"What the Sith was that?" Anakin asked, stunned. "You, Lorien M'aheirha, passing up the opportunity to pick on Baritos Sandicen?"  
  
"That's what us good girls do."  
  
"Okay, how long are you going to keep this up?" Anakin asked, eyeing her. "I want the old Lorien back."  
  
"Till I get back from my next mission," Lorien admitted. She then repeated everything she had just told Cylise.  
  
"Don't they know they'll be doing you more damage than good?" said Kad, angrily.  
  
"Obviously not," Lorien told him.  
  
"I know it," said a voice from behind her. All four turned to look.  
  
Takai Na-Mari stood behind his apprentice, tall and stern, but with an aura of pure kindness radiating from him.  
  
Lorien then spoke to her master. "Then why did you sentence me to it?"  
  
"It was the will of the Council," He explained. "And they will force me to disown you if you do not follow their instructions. I tried to sway them, but they would have none of it. I assure you, however, that if you are disowned, I will never take another apprentice, and I will see you often. Though, if they expel you, I may have to leave the Order"  
  
Lorien stood up and put her arms around the man, who hugged her back.  
  
"I knew you'd never let me go," she whispered.  
  
"How could I?" Takai replied as she released him. "I promise, this will not continue for long. I will do what I have to to find us another mission as soon as possible."  
  
"Thank-you, Master," Lorien said, a bit of the light returning to her eyes. "Now, please, sit down and eat with us."  
  
~*~  
  
"Let the Force flow through you," Takai said. "Feel, don't think."  
  
Lorien swung her indigo lightsaber around, easily blocking one of Anakin's attacks. She was blindfolded, but she knew it was Anakin she was fighting, from his style and his Force-signature. She advanced quickly, hers and Anakin's blades locking together. Then she gave a sharp snap of her wrist and she felt her opponent's weapon leave his hand. She promptly used the Force to pick it up, turned it on, and gave a lunge at Anakin, burning him with both blades.  
  
"Enough!" Obi-Wan called. Both padawans took off their blindfolds and Lorien returned Anakin's lightsaber. As both blades had been set to low power, Anakin's burns were hardly serious. Indeed, he was already healing them with the Force.   
  
"Good one," He commented, flashing her a smile.   
  
"Thanks," she replied, wiping the sweat off her brow. "You too."  
  
"You'll have to teach me that sometime."  
  
"In your dreams," she laughed, taking a gulp of the water Takai had just handed her.  
  
"We can do that more often, if it'll help you get through this torture thing," He offered.  
  
"Thanks," Lorien smiled. "I'd like that."  
  
"Alright, you two," said Obi-Wan. "Move to the side, we're going to bring Kad and Cylise in now."  
  
"Do they know they're fighting each other?" Lorien asked, worriedly.  
  
"If they don't, they will soon," Anakin remarked. He and Lorien retreated to the side of the training room, watching as Kad and Cylise were lead into the room by their masters, through different doors. They came to a halt in the middle of the room, facing each other. They bowed, then, at their masters' word, began.  
  
It soon became apparent to Lorien and Anakin that the two knew they were fighting each other. Kad seemed reluctant to be very offensive, keeping a defensive style, while Cylise abandoned almost all defense and was putting all of her energy into attacking her opponent.   
  
They kept on like that for a good while. Cylise was beginning to tire, but refused to let it show much, just continued to fight her hardest. Kad was still holding back, doing his best not to harm Cylise. He soon caught on to her fatigue, however. The next time she swung at him, he used his lightsaber to help hers continue its path, down toward the ground, using her own force to take her off balance. She fell, her lightsaber rolling away.  
  
"Enough!" Shalone said, smiling at her apprentice, "Kadir wins!"  
  
Kad and Cylise removed their blindfolds. Kad moved toward Cylise, who was now standing up with her lightsaber back in her hand.  
  
"Are you okay?" he asked, urgently.  
  
"Fine, no thanks to you," she snapped.  
  
"I only wanted to help," Kad pleaded. "You were tiring yourself out."  
  
"Well, I don't need or want your help, so you can just buzz off." Cylise made for the door. "Come on, Lorien."  
  
Lorien gave Kad an apologetic shrug before she turned and followed Cylise. 


	3. And So It Begins

Chapter Three  
  
"Who can tell me what the capital city of Naboo is?" Master Jhali said, looking around at the class of mid-teenagers who were staring at their galactic history teacher without really seeing her.  
  
"Anyone?" she prompted. "Anakin?"  
  
"Wha?" Anakin's head came up off the desk, and he looked around bemusedly, blinking sleep out of his eyes. A few people snickered.  
  
"The capital city of Naboo," Master Jhali said, a hint of impatience making its way into her voice.  
  
"Theed," Anakin said, stifling a yawn.  
  
"Correct," Master Jhali said. "Thank-you."  
  
But Anakin was already asleep, his head resting on the desk again, snoring softly.  
  
Master Jhali sighed, seeing that there would be no more out of the boy at least until the lesson was over. It was well known that he could put a Force-Barrier around himself, blocking other Force-suggestions, such as a wake-up suggestion. If he wanted to sleep, no one could stop him.  
  
"Who can tell me the name of the queen of Naboo during the blockade crisis?" Master Jhali asked.   
  
"Amidala," Lorien said, raising her hand.  
  
"Very good," Master Jhali gave Lorien a smile, which had never happened before. "Kadir, please read page 239 of the text aloud."  
  
Kad cleared his throat and began, his strong, warm voice catching everyone's attention, except for Cylise's. She was staring determinedly at her fingernails.  
  
"On the fourteenth day of the nineth month of the three thousand nine hundred ninety fourth year of the Republic, the Trade Federation blocked all trade routes to the planet of Naboo..."  
  
Now the young Jedi were paying attention, except for Anakin, of course. When Kad finished the page, he closed the book.  
  
"Thank you, Kadir," Master Jhali said. "Now, to see how well you payed attention, we will have a quiz on the bockade crisis and the battle that followed it."  
  
There was a chorus of groans from the students, and Anakin sat up, slowly, rubbing his eyes and streaching. The Force had obviously alerted him. Master Jhali passed out the keypads, then said, "Begin."  
  
After and hour of silence, except for the clicking of the keys, Master Jhali told them to stop. she collected the keypads, and in a few minutes, the were all marked. She stared, obviously suprised, at the readout of the marks, then assumed a "well-what-did-I-expect" expression. "The padawan with the top mark," she announced, "is Anakin Skywalker!"  
  
Everyone turned to congradulate Anakin, but he was slumped over his desk again, his breathing deep and even, his mouth slightly open. Asleep again.  
  
*  
  
Later that day, Anakin, Lorien, Cylise and Kad were sitting in the cafeteria eating their midday meal. Anakin's head was in his hand, and his eyes were closed. He had hardly touched his food.  
  
"Anakin!" Lorien yelled for the third time.  
  
"Huh - what?" Anakin's eyes snapped open and he turned to glare at Lorien. "Thanks alot. I was having a good dream."  
  
"What about?" she asked, reaching for his meat. He blushed as he slapped her hand and picked up his fork. "Or should I say, who?"  
  
"None of your business," he said, sharply.  
  
"Fine," Lorien said, a small smile playing about her face. "But at least tell us why you're so tired."  
  
"It's simple, really," Anakin explained. "Master Obi-Wan had me working with the healers on some Jedi that had just gotten back from a dangerous mission. They were greviously injured, and I didn't get to go to sleep till only a couple of hours before classes started today."  
  
"Aw, poor widdle Ani," Lorien cooed, mockingly, as she patted his head. He tried to bite it, but missed, and she slapped his arm, hard.  
  
"Remember, Young M'aheirha," he said, wincing at the pain. "If a good girl you cannot be, then a Jedi, you will not be."  
  
"Don't you pull that Master Yoda impression on me, Anakin Skywalker." Lorien said, wagging a finger at him.  
  
"Good afternoon, Master Yoda," Kad said, a little bit louder than was necessary, so as to warn the bickering apprentices of the Master's presence. Lorien and Anakin quickly turned and greeted Yoda, along with Cylise.  
  
"Alert your masters," Master Yoda said to them, "That to accompany you before the Council, they are ."  
  
"Yes, Master Yoda," The four chorused, masking their confusion as the diminutive Jedi hobbled away.  
  
*  
  
In exactly one hour, four Jedi Knights and their apprentices were standing before the Council. Master Windu addressed them.  
  
"Obi-Wan, Takai, Raena, and Shalone," he said. "We have an assignment for you and your apprentices."  
  
Lorien's face lit up and Cylise flashed her a small smile. Obi-Wan, however, was not so pleased.   
  
"Master Windu, what assignment could be so dangerous as to require the work of four master-padawan teams?" he asked.  
  
Master Windu placed the tips of his fingers together and cleared his throat. "The Treasure of the Angels of Iego has been stolen."  
  
There was a sharp intake of breath. Cylise was standing stock-still, her mouth open, her eyes wide. "But that means - "  
  
  
  
"Yes." Master Yoda nodded his head. "Recover it a quickly as you are able, you must; or crumble, the galaxy will."   
  
Cylise bit her lip. Lorien was confused. She knew very little of Iego, but if its princess was to terrified, this couldn't be good.  
  
"It's worse." Master Windu said. The Jedi looked at him, tense. "We fear that the treasure had been stolen by the Sith. You must set out to find him, kill him, before he destroys the galaxy. Your transport leaves for Iego first thing tomorrow." 


	4. Because in Space, No One Can Hear You Sc...

A/N: Though not many people seem to care, I HAVE FINALLY UPDATED! DONCHA JUST LOVE ME? Yes, it's short. I have friends who bug me to finish up my chapters. I don't want to find out what they'll do to me if i wait till I've done all I originally planned. If you reviewed any of the previous chappies, THANK YOU SO MUCH, and thank you for your patience.  
  
Chapter Four  
  
"I just don't understand it," Anakin said. He and Lorien were practicing saber techniques in an empty hall. If they were caught, they were in for it, because they were out of their chambers after hours, but Anakin had sealed the room so that a being could only get in if they knew there were humans inside. They were suspicious that a master might know what they were up to, though, because the hall was always clear, and the extra sabers and training tools were there at night, but not during the day.  
  
"What don't you understand?" Lorien asked, fending off Anakin, then deflecting a shot from a training remote behind her.  
  
Anakin aimed a swipe at her legs, which she jumped, and a shot at her head, which she ducked, and a swipe to her stomach, which she dodged. "I don't understand why the Sith would want the treasure of the Angels. What's so special about it?"  
  
"You'd have to ask Cylise about that," Lorien said. She used the Force to pick up an extra saber from the far wall, turned it on, and leaped up to a ledge on the wall.  
  
"Sneaky," Anakin said, summoning a double-bladed saber from the wall, discarding his own, and leaped to the ledge directly above Lorien.  
  
"Nice form," she commented, then grinned as she used the Force to tug at his boot. He lost his balance and fell toward the ground, using the Force to slow his fall. Lorien hopped down and they were engaged in battle one again.  
  
*  
  
"Lorien," Takai said, softly, as he gently shook his padawan. "Lorien, wake up."  
  
Lorien gave a little moan and rolled over without opening her eyes.  
  
"We're leaving in five minutes."  
  
That got Lorien up in a hurry.  
  
"What?! You're kidding, right?"  
  
"Do I ever 'kid'?"  
  
"No, but I was hoping you'd made an exception. Why didn't you wake me up sooner?" Lorien darted around the room, throwing odd necessities into a sack. She had slept in her clothes, for which she was thankful.  
  
"I've been trying to wake you for the past ten minutes," said Takai. "I thought you were up an hour ago. You'll have to eat on the transport. I thought I told you to get to bed early last night. What were you up to?"  
  
"Nothing, Master," Lorien said, taking care to discreetly block her master out of her memories of last night. When it came to lying, Lorien was an expert. She knew exactly how to look at her subject, how to make her expression look convincing, and how to say the lie as easily as if it were the truth. This skill had been smoothed to perfection over her many years of training as a Jedi. "It's hard to sleep right before a big assignment, that's all." That was half true. It was hard, but it wasn't "all".  
  
"Well, come on, we're leaving." And Master and Apprentice strode out of the room toward the transport.  
  
At the docking bay, They met Cylise, Kad, and Anakin, who was hiding his fatigue very well. Cylise was standing as far away from Kad as she could get away with. He kept glancing at her quickly, but she continued to stare as thought transfixed at the large, silver star ship. Apparently they had gotten into an argument before Lorien and Takai had arrived. Or, rather, Cylise had gotten into an argument. Kad was reluctant to say a word against her, but somehow always managed to get on her bad side.  
  
They boarded the ship, and tried to get comfortable in the passenger seats. Obi-Wan took the controls, and Anakin and Lorien fell asleep almost at once. Cylise and Kad talked to their masters, but not to each other, and soon even they fell silent as Obi-Wan took the ship into hyperspace.   
  
Anakin and Lorien woke up after a few hours, feeling much more refreshed than they had earlier that day. Anakin went to talk to Kad, and Lorien wandered over to Cylise, who was looking through a data-file on Iego.   
  
"Hey," Lorien said, sitting down beside her.  
  
Cylise returned the greeting, and went back to gazing at a picture of the grand palace of Iego.  
  
"I used to live there," she said softly. Lorien nodded. "I can barely remember it. It seems even bigger on the inside, and I always had to stay in my room with a nurse. I can't remember my father or my sister, except for brief snatches."  
  
Lorien thought about her own early life rather indignantly. She understood what Cylise had gone through, but at least she had a home. At least she had living relatives. She hadn't learned everything about her early life from odd Masters. Learned that her family had been dead poor, living in a shack on the Tatooine desert. House and parents burned to cinders by Hutts. The only reason Lorien had survived, everyone guessed, was her oddly strong connection with the living Force.   
  
She and Anakin were alike in those odd ways. Both had had miserable lives on Tatooine (which was probably why they both shared a dislike of sand), both had had their lives drastically altered by Hutts, both got into trouble easily, and both were oddly strong in the Force. Anakin's reading was over common measurement, higher than twenty thousand, and Lorien's was twenty thousand on the dot. Both were higher than master Yoda's reading. They had been on numerous missions together, due to their uncanny ability to anticipate each other's moves, feel each other's presence, and even communicate without words through the Force, which made them the strongest padawan fighting team in the Temple.   
  
Cylise was an excellent solo-fighter, which usually gave her an advantage. She had rescued Lorien from certain death many a time, and was a great friend. Anakin was apt to closing himself up at times, living in his own troubles and memories without thinking about others. Cylise was encouraging, empathetic, and kept a clear head. Around her friends at least. She had firm ideas about people, such as Kad, and was reluctant to change them. But that was just the was she was, and Lorien would've hated for her to change.  
  
  
  
"Master?" Anakin said to Obi-Wan, "You look tired. Would you like me to pilot while you rest?"  
  
"What?" Obi-Wan said, turning around. "Put you behind the controls? Not on your life!"  
  
"Master, We're in hyperspace. What could go wrong?"  
  
"You could alter the course so we come out light-years away from Iego; You could take us out early or late and right through a star; I know you'll use the coffee maker, and that wastes fuel; you could bump the controls and put us off course--"  
  
"Okay, stop." Anakin threw himself down on a cushioned seat. "I get it. I'm a terrible pilot and a menace to the Republic."  
  
"You just noticed?" Lorien asked, sarcastically.  
  
"Well, to tell you the truth, I always had the general idea I could fly pretty well and that I was the 'Chosen One', and I'm needed to bring balance to the Force. But now that I think about it, all those people who ever said that must have been talking to JarJar. He's the true Chosen One."  
  
They all had a laugh over this. JarJar Binks had recently become a Senator of Naboo, so he was well known around the Jedi Temple, especially among the Intermediate Politics Class, to which Lorien, Anakin, Kad, and Cylise all belonged.  
  
Soon, however, the laughter died down. Obi-Wan went back to staring sternly out the window. The other Knights gathered in a far corner, voices lowered, while Cylise looked at holos, Kad took a nap, and Lorien and Anakin took apart the coffee maker, trying not to look to suspicious.   
  
A/N: Yes, that's the end of another one of my rare chapters. In the next one, the arrival on Iego, a meeting with the Royal family, who also happens to be Cylise's family, and a trip to visit the Angels. If I can fit it all in there. But don't think about the next chapter, okay? Think about this one. Tell me what you think, I beg of you! I love reviews. They make my day ^_^ 


	5. We FINALLY reach Iego

Disclaimer: I was mortified to discover that I had not yet included a disclaimer for this story, so here it is. I do NOT own Star Wars or any of its settings and characters. I do, however, own Cylise, Kad, Lorien, their masters, and the other characters which I made up. So don't take 'em!  
  
Chapter Five  
  
"Five minutes till we leave hyperspace," Obi-Wan said, vaguely, glancing at the passengers behind him.   
  
"Anything you want me to do, Master?" Anakin asked, eagerly.  
  
"Now that you mention it..." Anakin stood up eagerly, "I could really use a cup of coffee."  
  
"Coffee, Master?"  
  
"Yes, Anakin," Obi-Wan said, his eyes silently mocking his apprentice. "Coffee."  
  
"Certainly, Master." Anakin busied himself with the coffee maker, which he and Lorien had successfully rebuilt (and modified slightly) after their dissection. When he was finished, he took the steaming mug to Obi-Wan, also providing him with blue milk and sugar, which the Jedi Knight stirred into the drink. He slowly took a sip, and this time, it was Anakin's eyes that were mocking him.  
  
Obi-Wan looked startled, and stared into his cup. "No aftertaste... it's amazing!"  
  
"The Force works in mysterious ways, Master."  
  
~*~  
  
When the ship landed on Iego, the Jedi gathered together their possessions (or, rather, Lorien gathered her possessions, as the others had traveled fairly lightly) and exited the transport. The docking bay was empty, except for a man in a blue uniform. The second Cylise saw the man she stopped and grinned. He smiled back.  
  
"Good Day to you, Ms Lise," He said, his speech heavily accented. Lorien noticed that the accent was similar to Cylise's, but much thicker, as her friend had lived on Coruscant for most of her life. Cylise hurried up to him and gave him a quick hug.   
  
"It's great to see you again, Maraq." She looked around and smiled to herself. "Everything's like I remember it, but different somehow. Smaller."  
  
Maraq laughed, and said, "That's because you're taller, Ms Lise. Much taller." Indeed, Cylise was inches taller than the man.  
  
Obi-Wan cleared his throat, and Cylise started.  
  
"Oh, yeah, sorry," She said. "Maraq, I'd like you to meet my friends, Lorien and Anakin" --Anakin and Lorien waved-- "Their Masters, Takai Na-Mari, and Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Jedi Knight Shalone Alandul" --The three Knights inclined their heads-- "And my Jedi Master, Raena Tikar." Everyone noticed that she deliberately left Kad out, but no one said anything. "Everyone, this is Maraq Dirann. He was head of my security when I lived here."  
  
"I am head of your security once again, Ms Lise," Maraq said. "Your father wants to make sure that you are protected during your stay by one familiar to the area."  
  
"Are we to go to the palace first, or begin our mission right away?" Cylise inquired.  
  
"The palace first," Maraq replied. "Your father and sister wish to see you. A transport will be provided tomorrow for you to reach the fourth moon."  
  
"Well then, what are we waiting for?" Cylise turned in the direction of the tallest building in sight. "Let's go!"  
  
~*~  
  
Lorien bounced around on the immense satin-covered bed.  
  
"I can't believe you used to live here," she said, looking around the cavernous room that belonged to her best friend.  
  
"Yeah, well," Cylise said, twisting a lock of her honey-coloured hair around her finger idly, "It was no picnic, I can tell you. Maraq and Narina -- she was my nurse -- were my only friends."  
  
"Cylise?" Lorien said, "You were, like, two. And you can't really blame a King for not wanting his two-year-old daughter leaving the palace."  
  
Cylise narrowed her eyes. "This from the girl that used to play with Tusken children on Tatooine?"  
  
"Hey!" Lorien protested. "Tuskens aren't half bad once you get to know them."  
  
"Well, it depends. They're hostile towards those they consider their enemies, but startlingly kind towards friends and family."  
  
Cylise and Lorien jumped and looked up. Anakin was leaning in the doorframe.  
  
"Where'd you come from?" Lorien said, staring at him. "I thought you were waiting for the King and princess?"  
  
"I was," Anakin said, "and they're ready to see they're precious Cylise now. Come on."  
  
"Sure," Cylise said, and she and Lorien stood up and moved out into the hallway.  
  
All the way down to the great hall, Lorien's head was whipping around at an alarming rate, her eyes trying to take in everything, but it was impossible. The palace was elaborately furnished, with tapestries, paintings, and sculptures. Guards dressed in blue were standing, motionless outside each set of doors, and suits of armor decorated the corridor between entrances. Lorien and Anakin stopped to tease one of the guards for awhile, by waving their hands in front of his face. He never even blinked.  
  
"You sure they're alive?" Lorien asked, poking one of them.  
  
"Of course they're alive," Cylise said. "But they've been trained not to be distracted by little things like guests. If there's some kind of trouble, they move like greased lightning."  
  
"Greased lightning?" Anakin asked, but Cylise was already walking away. He glanced at Lorien, who shrugged, then they hurried after her.  
  
When they finally reached the Great Hall, Cylise lead them inside, and they walked toward the two golden thrones across the room, in which sat a tall man with neat, brown hair and kind, brown eyes; and a slender girl of around eighteen. Both were clad in blue, and Lorien was now coming to the conclusion that blue had some significance to the Iegoans.  
  
"Welcome!" boomed the king, standing up to greet the Jedi, the rest of whom were now filing into the hall. "I am King Karim, and this is my daughter, the Princess Jadessa." The Jedi bowed, and Cylise moved forward.  
  
"Greetings, Father," she said cordially.  
  
"Ah, my daughter," Karim said, smiling. "Welcome back into the Royal court of Iego, Princess Cylisiana."  
  
Lorien and Anakin suddenly went into a simultaneous fit of coughing. Kad threw them a hard look, and they bit their tongues and tried to look serious.  
  
"Thank you, father," Cylise said. "If you would be so kind, my companions and I would appreciate it if you would tell us what trouble brings us so far from the Republic. The treasure of the Angels has been stolen, we know. When, and why?"  
  
"Not a week ago, and why we cannot say. You understand, of course, from your studies of Iego, what the loss of such a valuable artifact means?"  
  
Cylise nodded. Lorien saw what Anakin had meant. What was so special about a treasure? Surely it was not so rare that it could not be replaced?  
  
"The hands into which it has fallen must have some dark scheme against the galaxy, and what worries me is the amount of power they must have, to have been able to take the treasure in the first place," Karim said.   
  
"Sire," Obi-Wan said, moving forward. "I'm sorry, but we don't understand. What is the reason this treasure is so precious? What powers does it have?"  
  
"That is best told to you by the ones from which the treasure has been stolen. Your transport to Tarra, our fourth moon, on which the treasure was kept, will be leaving tomorrow."  
  
"Your Highness," Raena said, "Surely if the loss of this treasure is so terrible, we cannot wait till the morrow?"  
  
"Unfortunately, you shall have to," The King said. "For we have heavy security monitoring all transports to and from the moons. The hours are nine in the morn to four in the afternoon. If you were to set off now, you would be shot down by the space force."  
  
"Call them off!" Anakin suggested.  
  
"Much as I would love to do that, it is the law," Karim said, ruefully. "The fighters took an oath, the breaking of which is punishable by death. That's the trouble with being King." He stroked his beard, absently. "You get backed into corners all the time..." Coming back to the situation at hand, he focused once again on the Jedi. "I shall have my men take you to your quarters. Jadessa will go with you."  
  
Without a word, the elder princess stood up and joined the Jedi in following three of the King's personal guards out of the room.  
  
~*~  
  
"It is a pleasure to see you again, sister," Cylise said, solemnly as they walked down a new hallway.  
  
"Loose the politeness, sis," Jadessa said. "It makes me sick coming from the girl who swore a parsec a minute when she was two."  
  
Lorien and Anakin turned around, interested. Cylise's language was far from perfect, but the thought of her swearing so much at such a young age was... odd.  
  
"Temple life has done much to clean up my speech, Jadessa," said Cylise.  
  
"I told you, drop it. And it's Dess. Jadessa's all... princessy." The girl made a face.  
  
"Still don't wanna be Queen?" Cylise asked, teasing.  
  
"Nope." Dess played with her hair in a way that reminded Lorien of Cylise. "You're so lucky, Lise.  
  
"I guess," was Cylise's reply.  
  
"You guess?" Dess said in disbelief. "Think about it. You have a talent most of us can't even begin to understand. You're the only Riyahndez to be strong in the Force. You're being trained as a Jedi, you have freedom."  
  
"Not really," Cylise said. "Not much. Lorien and I were busted a few days ago for being out of bounds and missing a ceremony. We're at classes from sixth hour to twelfth, lunch for half an hour, classes again from twelve and a half hours to fourteenth, training with our Masters till eighteenth, dinner till eighteen and a half hours, then meditation till twentieth hour, when it's lights out. Only time we sway from the schedule is for celebrations and missions."  
  
"No free time at all?" Dess asked, surprised.  
  
"Of course we get free time," Cylise smiled. "We have one day a week to ourselves, when we can do what we want... within the law. Most of us take the time to practice or meditate or socialize. And we can talk to each other during classes and spar with each other during training. There's lots of fun stuff to do. Just not a lot of freedom."  
  
"Why don't you leave the Jedi, if you don't like their rules?"  
  
"I may not like the rules, but I do like being a Jedi. I aim to go all the way to being a Master. It is necessary that all student possible be trained as a Jedi, cuss a Force-sensitive can be dangerous to the galaxy. Like whomever it was who took the Treasure. They must have been Force-sensitive to have gotten past the security. I've got to keep training."  
  
"Guess that means I can't abdicate the throne, then," Dess said, shuffling her satin-slipped feet.   
  
"Guess not," Cylise murmured.  
  
"Why couldn't you?" Kad asked. "If you don't want to be queen?  
  
Cylise shot Kad a look of pure venom, which he tried to ignore.  
  
"What's your name?" Dess asked, curiously.  
  
"Kad."  
  
"Well, Kad," Dess said, straitening, "The law states that the ruler must either be of the reining monarch's blood or related through marriage. Right now, Lise and I are the only two possible heirs. I'm first in line, and normally, if I were to abdicate, Cylise would be forced into rulership, whether she wanted it or not. But because of her commitment to the Jedi Order, she gave up her claim to the throne, so I am the one forced to be Queen."  
  
Kad gave her a sympathetic look.   
  
"Who came up with all these rules anyway?" Anakin asked. "They seem to force people into situations that they'd rather not be in."  
  
"Some king dude that lived, like, a bazillion years ago," Dess said, carelessly.  
  
"Draego Elitez," Cylise supplied. "Two millenia ago."  
  
"Yeah, whatever." Dess stopped. "Here's the room." She lead them into a huge chamber, empty except for a large number of sleeping bags spread across the floor. "This is where you'll sleep tonight, and tomorrow you'll be on your way, so you don't really have need for separate bedrooms. And we couldn't give them to you if we did. The maids came down with some sort of bug, the guest rooms are coated in dust, It'd take an army to clean 'em out."  
  
"I take it you don't have many guests around here," Anakin said, sitting on the floor.  
  
"No, we don't," Dess said, a glazed look taking over her eyes for a minute. She snapped back to reality with a sharp shake of her head. "I have things I must be doing. I'll see you at dinner..." She retreated into the hall, and soon the barely audible sound of her footfalls faded away.  
  
"She's a little odd, isn't she?" Anakin asked, falling back onto a sleeping bag.  
  
"Yeah," Cylise said. "But she's got more to deal with than you think..."  
  
"What--" Kad started to ask, but Lorien cut him off, knowing a word from Kad at this time would probably result in a certain Jedi apprentice's lightsaber at his throat.  
  
"You're full name's Cylisiana? I thought it was just Cylise."  
  
"My full name, just to get everything out in the open, is Cylisiana Daristarr Riyahndez," Cylise said. "The information is easily accessible in the archives. Cylise is a nickname, and less formal. I prefer to be called that, if you don't mind."  
  
"No, I don't mind at all," Lorien said, smiling. "And if you don't mind, I think I'll take a nap before dinner. Hyperspace always throws off my sleep cycle."  
  
Everyone nodded, and Lorien fell into her sleeping bag, and into a deep sleep.  
  
~*~  
  
"Lorien. Lorien, wake up."  
  
"Uunnh... just five more minutes, Master."  
  
"FORCE, LORIEN, THE PALACE IS UNDER ATTACK BY THE TRADE FEDERATION!"  
  
"WHAT?!"  
  
Lorien shot out of her sleeping bag, drew her lightsaber and had it ignited before she noticed Anakin laughing at her.  
  
"Very funny, slave-boy," she said, putting her lightsaber back into her belt.  
  
"I thought so."  
  
"What was so urgent as to awaken me from my slumber?"  
  
"Dinner time."  
  
Anakin felt a ripple of wind and saw a blur of robes, then turned to follow his friend out into the hall.  
  
When they reached the dining hall, the found the rest of the Royal family and the rest of the Jedi seated at the table. They sank into their seats, breathing hard, faces flushed from the race the had just run. The others looked at them oddly, but said nothing.  
  
The evening meal was probably the best one any of the Jedi had ever tasted. Temple food, though nutritious, was horribly predictable and plain, and often overcooked. The Iegoans, however, seemed to have something against not only cooking, but meat as well. The meal consisted of fresh fruits and vegetables, bursting with flavour. Lorien's personal favourite was Tarshu, a small, tart, brightly coloured fruit that exploded with flavour when you bit it. They also exploded with bright red juice, and she and Anakin saved some for 'later usage'.  
  
After Dinner, the Jedi retired to their room, except for Cylise. She stayed up in one of the many sitting rooms with her father and sister, talking about their lives and the Treasure, and about the reasons Iego remained separate from the Republic. Once Cylise felt a tremble in the Force. A short spasm of panic and pain that disappeared almost as quickly as it had come. Shaking her head, she continued to listen to her family.   
  
A heated discussion about the supreme Chancellor was taking place when a guard (dressed in blue, of course) stepped inside the room.  
  
"Sire," he said. "There is a messenger at the gates. He begs you to speak to him."  
  
"What does he want?" asked the King.  
  
"There has been another tragedy, Sire." The guard bowed his head. "The entire Space Force guarding the Moons have been destroyed."  
  
A/N: There. Another chapter to (hopefully) make you people happy. Kat, your review frightened me. You can NOT drop Anakin over a cliff, of even off the bleachers. I need him for my fic! Anyway, the next chapter is pretty well finished, I think, only it ends before you know the true importance of the treasure (sorry!). So, It should be out pretty soon, to make up for my incredibly long time without updating. Sorry 'bout that! 


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